ISC hosts Multicultural Night to celebrate diversity among students

By Kristy Jang on October 27, 2017

In an effort to celebrate the different cultures associated with Oklahoma Christian University, the Student Government Association will host a Multicultural Night this evening, which will include international food, dance and song.

International Student Council (ISC) President David Cyusa Zihiga said he is excited about the different cultures coming together to put on the event.

“The ones in the past have been mostly countries doing their own events,” Zihiga said. “This one is more combined, as everyone is involved. The Chinese, the Japanese, the African, the Latino community – they’re all coming together to show us their different cultures.”

Zihiga said one of the greatest things about this event is that it is student-driven and gives all Oklahoma Christian students the opportunity to learn more about the other cultures that are currently represented on campus.

“With the recent events that have been happening on campus, especially with the international office, I think this is a great opportunity for students to take things into their own hands,” Zihiga said. “To try and promote their culture and rely on themselves. That’s the greatest thing I can say about this. It’s really refreshing to see students actually taking part in all of this.”

According to Isabella Preciado, the vice president of ISC, the event will be full of different cultural festivities, including African, Asian, Latino and Hispanic food, cultural dancing and singing. With ISC now a part of Oklahoma Christian, Preciado said she hopes to see events like Multicultural Night taking place more often.

“I feel like ISC is a great way to have representation internationally,” Preciado said. “It makes me very excited. They have been doing a really good job — SGA and everyone else — trying to combine the domestic students and the international students, which is good, because sometimes there can be a barrier between the two, especially when it comes to the culture and language.”

Jan Bian, head of the multicultural committee, said she hopes the night will also get students excited for homecoming and the theme of making Oklahoma Christian home to both domestic and international students.

“In the spirit of our homecoming theme, we want to celebrate and appreciate the many different cultures represented on OC’s campus,” Bian said. “Sharing their food is one of the universal ways that people share their culture, so we’re hoping to give all of our students the opportunity to share in and learn about these cultures. I am really excited that OC is giving us this platform to appreciate the diversity that exists on our campus. By embracing our differences and appreciating the other, we are fulfilling our promise that ‘OC is home’ for each and every student on campus, and that makes me really glad to be at OC.”

Multicultural Night will take place in the Garvey Center tonight at 6 p.m.